Being Normal
by Invisy3
Summary: Postgame! John. The group settled in the universe they created and, despite everything they did, they're treated as freaks and outcasts. Everyone thinks that John has it easy, but that in itself is pretty hard. It's hard and nobody understands. Oneshot


_This is pretty old, i hope I've improved since then, but I hope you guys like it anyway._

A cool Autumn breeze blew through the park. School would start soon, John thought. He saw the familiar sense of dread in the eyes of every passing child and teenager. Normally, he'd be sharing in their dread. He'd be holed up in his room commiserating with Dave and Rose, while Jade would jump in at every opportunity to say how lucky they were.

He never thought they were lucky. Becoming a god and dying several times didn't exactly change that, but he was happy to have something resembling a normal life again. Even if "normal" in this case meant he was one of the "Striders", as the townspeople called them. (Wrongly so, as everyone but the real Striders reminded them.) But hey, they lived all together, almost like a family, and the only adult ever around was Dave from the future, who conveniently popped in whenever they needed him to.

Out of the corner of his eye, John saw her. He didn't know her very well, heck, he didn't even know her name, but he'd seen the girl around a few times. Today her dark brown hair was pulled into a loose bun with a pencil stuck in it. She walked slowly, with a bundle of papers in her arms and a curious look she didn't usually have. He should go talk to her—no! What if she was busy? She didn't look busy…And if he didn't at least get her name now, when would he?

John puffed out his chest and walked straight towards her…before veering off to go hide behind a bench. So it seemed talking was out of the question. A thought occurred to him, what better first impression than a harmless little prank? Of course he had nothing to prank her with, nor any way of knowing the next time he'd see her.

The breeze blew his bangs into his eyes, giving him an idea. It wasn't exactly a good ice-breaker, but it was still pretty harmless. He chuckled as he gathered a small, invisible, gust of wind in his hand and sent it towards the girl. Her hair blew out of its bun, falling messily around her face and her skirt flew up. She rushed to push it down, turning beet red. "Jesus!" She looked around, hoping nobody saw that and returned to her business, cursing out the wind.

John stifled a luagh and turned away. There are frogs on her underwear, he thought, that's so cute. Suddenly, a voice called out to him in an accent that only one person in this whole city had. "Jonathan Egbert! I wish you had a middle name so I could properly yell at you!"

"Uh, hi Jake." He shifted nervously.

He scowled, "Don't 'hi' me, I came to take you back home for dinner and what do I find? You're having your jokes on that poor lady over there."

John started to object, but there really wasn't anything to say.

"Now go apologize and we can go home."

"Apologize? As far as she knows, it was the wind! I know you're old fashioned and all, but no harm no foul, gramps." He shrugged and started towards the street. Before he reached the sidewalk, Jake grabbed him and brought him back over.

"Okay then, pops. Since there's no harm, why don't you do some good with those god powers of yours?" He said, poking the other boy's chest for emphasis.

John rolled his eyes,"Good? Like what, pick up some trash? I'd rather have you bitch at me the whole way home, thanks."

"Not like that. Be a gentleman." He stopped for a moment to think, "Those papers she's holding look pretty important, maybe you should help her pick them up."

It took a few seconds for the idea to click. "Oh, yeah that could work." He said before sending another well aimed gust of wind her way. Some of her papers scattered in the breeze, fluttering to the ground around her. "Fricking wind!" she screamed, stomping her foot and shaking her fist at the sky. John couldn't help but laugh at her before running over to help her pick them up. She was on her knees, grumbling again and checking each of the papers, her drawings, for damage.

He handed her a bundle of them as she got up, "Hi, I noticed you needed some help." He smiled warmly.

"Yeah," she laughed, "Hey, I think I've seen you before. You're John, right? John Strider?"

He sighed, his heart sinking a bit like it did every time someone pointed that out. "John Egbert," he corrected her, "But it's nice to meet you."

"Oh sorry. I didn't mean to mistake you for one of them." she scoffed, "I'm Kate."

He twitched, his whole good mood gone in one fell swoop. "I am one of them." he snapped.

She stepped back, flustered, "Oh, well, sorry John. I didn't mean…" Her eyes darted around, as if she was looking for an escape. "I'm sure you're a great guy, but I have to go." Without anything else, she snatched her drawings from him and ran away.

He stood there frozen for a bit, feeling like he just got kicked in the gut. If there was one thing John understood, it was that they weren't normal. Dave said it was just something everyone would have to deal with. They lived in a world full of ordinary people and, while they created that world, they could never really belong there.

Except for John.

John Egbert wasn't that weird kid from the island, or those other weird kids who'd literally never even seen a living person for most of their lives. He wasn't everyone's "Father"; he didn't have to hide wings or dog ears; he couldn't curse people off in fluent Eldritch. He wasn't an alien. No, John was lucky, according to them. Because he was the only one in the whole house who could be called normal. They never said it, but he knew that deep down, however deep it might be, everyone resented him for that.

But he wasn't "normal". he couldn't be if he tried.

Because to the rest of the town, he was just as much an outcast as everyone else.


End file.
